Gas stove



H. W.- ODOWD v GAS STOVE May 31, 1927. K

Filed April '9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet v1 May 3l, 1927.

H; w.l o'DowD GAS STOVE Filed April 9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY j@ @WMA Patented May 3l, 1927.

UNETED STATES PTENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. ODOWD, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD GAS EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

GAS STOVE.

Application filed April 9, 1925. Serial No. 21,742.

This invention relates to thermostatically operated heat regulating or controlling devices, and has reference more particularly to devices of this kind suitable for use in connection with ovens of gas stoves.

The general objects of the invention are to provide a device which is of simple construction and involves a minimum of parts; which is highly' sensitive' in action and capable of responding promptly to slight changes in temperature; which is positive and uniformin operation; which may be readily and conveniently adjusted to vary the degree of the .controlled temperature; and the location of which with reference to the oven is such as to insure a more uniform temperature therein.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved arrangement and construction of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and described in detail in the .specification to follow.

In the accompanying drawings:

'r Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a gas stove having-the invention applied thereto, a part of the oven being broken away to show the interior thereof.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same as viewedv from the right in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on.

an enlarged scale through the thermostatic controlling device and adjacent parts, the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional elevation of-the same on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a similar view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the adjusting dial wheel of the thermostatic device and adjacent valve chamber.

Referring to the drawings:

The gas stove illustrated is of the so-called cabinet type wherein the oven 1 is arranged to one side of and above a cooking l top 2, which latter is heated by burners (not shown) supplied with gas from a front supply pipe or manifold 3. The oven is heated by a burner Vor burners (not shown) supplied with gas from a branch gas supply pipe 3a extending at the side of the oven, the

supply of the gas to the oven burner being controlled by the improved thermostatic device in the manner presently to be described.

The oven structure is provided as usual with vertical side iues 4 and with a top i horizontal Hue 5, which latter extends between the top plate 6 of the oven and a horizontal removable iue plate 7 spaced a short distance below the top plate. The heat currents from the burner iow upwardly through the side fiues as usual, and enter the oven through the communicating openings 4a (Fig. 3) at the upper ends of the flues. whence ythe currents low from the front of the oven through holes 8 in the flue plate (Fig. 1) and enter the top flue, 'through which they flow rearwardly and finally escape through a vent 9 leading from and com-- municating with the rear end of the flue.

A thermostatic device is employed for automatically regulating the supply of gas to the oven burner and for maintaining the temperature-of the oven at the desired point. This device comprises essentially a thermostatic element or couple 10 'andl a valve 11, the said couple being supported within and extending transversely across the top flue 5 q near the front but in rear of the holes 8, so as to stand in the path of the heatv currents as they flow rearwardly through the liuc,

vand the valve being disposed in the gas passage leading to the oven burner so as to regulate the flow of gas under the control of the Y thermostat.

to the tube as at` 14, so that the movement of the tube, due to its expansion or contraction, will be transmitted positively through the rod to the valve 11, which latter is fixed to the outer en d of thel rod and is adjustable longitudinally thereof for the purpose presently to be described. The outer end of the thermostatic tube is fixed 'to a valve casing 15 which is located on the outerside of the oven structure and is firmly fastened thereto. in the present instance by means of a hollow axial boss lt projecting inwardly from thc side ot' tht` casing aiul extending through the side ot' the oven structure, and through a heat insulating packing 1T between the outer wall of the oven structure and a plate 18 at the outer side of the flue 5. The inner end of said boss terminates within the flue 5 Where it is screw threadedl to receive a fastening nut 19 which, when screwed up on the boss, will engage the plate 18 and draw and bind the valve casing fixedly and firmly against the outer side ot' the oven structure.

The valve casing 15 is ot' generally annular forni and is provided at its top with a radial hollow boss 15 constituting a gas inlet which is supplied with gas from the branch supply pipe 3 screwed into said boss. Thisgas inlet communicates with an elongated :annular port 2t) formed in the wall of a valve cylinder 2l in the interior of the casing, which port fully surrounds and communicates with the interior of the cylinder. The valve l1 is in the form ot a piston fitted to slide in the valve cylinder, and it is provided with a groove-like elongated annular port 22 which communicates with the port 20, the degree of communication between the two ports being dependent on the position of the valve as controlled by the thermostatic couple. The valve is further t'ornied with a number of axial ports 23 leading from the annular port 22 into a gas outlet in the form of a chamber 24 in the'valve casing at the outer end of the valve, and this gas outlet chamber connects with the oven burner through a downwardly ,extending pipe 25 tapped at its upper end in the lower side of the valve casing and communicating with the outlet chamber by a hole 26 toi-ined in the valve casing, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

From the construction described, it will be seen that the gas from the supply pipe 3 entering the annular port 2() in the valve casing will pass into the annular port 22 in the valve and thence out through' the axial ports 23 into the outlet chamber 24, whence itwill flow through the hole 26 in the valve casing and enter the pipe 25 by which it;A will be conducted t-o the oven burner. lt is thus seen that the gas supplied to the oven burner., in passing from the inlet to the outlet, is subiected to the regulating action ot' the tliernumtatically operated valve which controls the communication between the inlet and outlet.

han the temperature in the oven is high an causes a corresponding expansion of the thermostatic tube, the latter pulls on the rod 13 and moves the valve to the left in Fig. 3, thereby shifting its annular port 22 relative to the annular. port 20 in the Valve casing and restricting the communication between the two, and thereby reducing the supply ot' gas to thc oven burner. lVhen, however, the tliei'inostatic tube contracts, due to a lower temperature in the oven, the rod 1S is pushed in the opposite direction, and the valve is correspondingly shit'ted to open up the ports and thereby increase the supply ot' gas to the burner.

lt may be noted at this point .that there is associated with the oven burnei a pilotburner (not lshown). which is supplied with gas (when the oven is in use) by means ot a feed pipe Y2i' tapped at its upper end in the underside ot the valve casing and coinmunicating with the outlet chamber 2l through a hole 2S in the valve casing.

The piston valve is scrcwedoiito the end ot' the thcrmostatic rod, so that by turning the valve in one direction or the other it may be adjusted relatively to the thermostatic couple to vary the temperature of the oven, according to the articles ot food being cooked. This adjustment .of the valve is effected, in the present instance, by means of an adjusting dial wheel 2S) which is at taclied in the manner presently 'to be described to a stein or stud 30 projecting outwardly from a member in the form of a taperedliiib 3l rotatably nieiinted in a coi'- responding bearing opening in a plug 32 v screwed into a threaded hole in the outer wall ot' the valve casing and forming a part ofsaid wall. The tapered hub is held gas tight in its bearing opening by a spring 33 encircling the'stem 30 and bearing respectively against the outer side of' the screw plug 32 and apin 34 fixed to said stem. At its inner larger end, the hub projects a short distance beyond the inner tace-of the plug and the projecting end is covered h v a plate 35 fastened at its outer edge to the screwA plug and serving as an additional means in preventing the escape otI the gas between the hub and itsseat. A flattened pin or lug 35 extends axially inwardly from the hub and through a circular holel in the plate 35, and is slidingly fitted in a corresponding slot 36 formed in the outer end of the piston valve. so that by turning the dial wheel. the valve may be. adjusted as hereinbe'lore described. without.breaking its connection with the adjusting wheel.

The dia l wheel 29 is provided on its periphwith uraduations 37 which are adapted to be i'eat in connection with a pointer 3S tixed to an upward extension or lug 82) ot the valve casing, bynieans of a fastening screw 4t). The dial wheel is attached to the.

stein 30 in such manner as to admit ot' the adjustment of the Wheel circuinterentially relatively to the vstem in the direction ot' spacing of the graduations, and this for the purpose of enabling the parts to be set in their proper relative position during asllt) semblage, to meet the var ing conditions encountered in practice w1t respect to the different thermal values and the' different pressures which the gas possesses in different localities. .'[n the present instance, this ad- 'justment is effected by means of a toothed washer or disk 41 formed with a central slot formed With teeth 43 ada ted to engagel between the teethy on the was er and thereby interlock the wheel with the washer, the

'Wheel being held in place, with the two sets of teeth detachably interlocked, by means of a screw stud 44 which` extends through a hole 45 inthe wheel and is screwed into the outer end of the stud 42, the head of the screw bearing against the outer face of the wheel. By this method'of mounting the dial wheel, it can be adjusted circumferentially in the direction ofthe spacing of the graduations relative to thel stem operated thereby, by rst loosening the screw stud sufficiently to disengage the teeth, then shifting the head around to the desired position,

and again engaging the teeth and screwing up the stud to maintain' the parts in their' adjusted position. By such adjustment of A the dial wheel, the graduations on the wheel may be caused when positioned opposite the pointer 38, to indicate the actual temperature required under any given conditions.

The dial wheel is limited in its movement to a single rotation through 360 b means of a stop lug a projecting outwar ly from the outer side of the valve casing in position .to be engaged by a lug- 46 extending inwardly from the innerside of the wheel near its outeredge, theadjustment of the valve between its two extremes'on the ther,- mostatic rod being effected by the motion of `the dial wheel within avcomplete rotation of the same.

The advantages of the foregoing arrange-- ment of the parts will now be clear. Duev i to its direct connection to the thermostatic couple, the valve 11 is highly -sensitive in action and responds instantly to temperature changes, there being no springs, or other larticulated parts between the Valve and the thermostatic couple so characteristic of other 5f describedis very important and advantaco'nstructions. Furthermore, owing to the comparatively large area of the annular ports 20 and 22, the valve, although directly connectedtothe thermostatic couple, insures an adeguate and uniform' supply of gas toA the oven burner under' all conditions of use. The locationof the thermostatic couple 10 in the top iiue 5 in the manner previously `plied with a geous, in that the couple is not exposed to the heat currents until after they have circulated through the oven and escaped therefrom through the vent holes 8, so that the action of .the valve 1 1 will conform more 70 reliably and accurately to theV general temperature prevailing with the oven. In certain types of thermostatic installations, the thermostatic couple has been located in the oven at apoint where it was exposed t heat cur-rents having a temperature not truly representative of that obtaining 'generally throughout the oven. For instance, the thermostati'c couple has been located at or closely adjacent the point in the oven Where the heat currents enter from the flue re-i ceiving said currents directly from the burner. Under such conditions, the thermo.-

static couple is influenced and operated by a `with theAinvention, the ovenwill attain the v t desired temperature before the heat cur-rents begin to influence the thermostatic couple.

It will be appreciated therefore that the I device will operate with greater reliability and accuracy in maintaining the desired temperature than if it were subjected to a degree of heat not representative-of that prevailing generally in the oven. further advantage results from the locatlon of the thermostatic couple in the top iue, in that the flue plate 7 may be removed for the purpose o f cleansing'the same, or for renewal or repairs, without first having to dismount or disconnect the thermostatic device, it being understood that in gas stoves of this type, the iiue, plates are for sanitary and other reasons, customarily made removable at will from the oven or stove structure.

As shown inFig. 3 the gas is allowed to flow from the inlet chamber 20 to the outlet chamber through a. by-pass opening 47 formed in the valve casing,- which is controlled by a throttlng screw 48, see Fig. 5, 1

the purpose being to insure that the oven burner, as well as the pilot burner, are suplimited amount of gas .continuousl andindependently of that controlled by the thermostatic valve, and this in order 5to prevent the supply of lgas from being cut oli entirely from the burners by the action of the va1ve. v

Wherever in the specilicatlon and clalms 'a'port is mentioned in describing the ports 12,5 20 and 22, it is intended that theex'pressipn 4include a slot-like continuous port, as

or a port made up of a series of 1nshown 7 enings related to each dividual holes or op otherso as tc conjomtly form'ineffect an 130 elongated. 'or extended port and to include galsofa port otherwise specifically formed to function similarxto the port shown.

In the foregoing description and accompanyingdrawings, the invention has been set forth in the particular detailed forms -which'it is preferred to adopt, but it will be manifest that the details may be variously changed and modified without departing `from the spirit of the invention. It should be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any particular form or construction of the parts except in so far as such limitations-are speciied in the claims.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: p

1. In a gas stove, the combination of a heating chamber adapted to be heated by a gas burner and having an outlet for the escape of the heat currents, means for supplying gas to the burner, a thermostatic ele# ment located outside the heating chamber but in\the path of the heat currents flowing' operated by said t discharge opening at the rear, whereby the `heat currents from the chamber will enter the front of the lu'e and How rearwardly vand find their escape, a thermostatic elementsituated in said lue at'its front inv rear ofthey oint where it communicates with thek heating chamber, .and meansoperated by said thermostatic element for1con. `trolling the supply of gas to the burner.

3. In a gas stove, the combination of an ovenstructure formed with a top plate and end of the flue and sai `mounted in said casing and dividing the interior thereof into a lower Aheating cham ber and an upper flue communicating with said chamber, the said heating chamber being adapted to be heated by a gas burner, and the saidvfiue being adapted to receive the heat currents flowing from the heating chamber, means for supplying gas to the burner, a thermostatic element located in the ilue, and means operatedA by the thermostatic element for controlling the supply of gas to the 'lue.

5. In a gas stove, vthe combination of'a heating chamber, a gas burner for heating the same, upright fines at the sides of the chamber discharging at their upper ends into the top of the heating chamber and adapted at their ylower ends to receive the heating gases from the burner, a horizontal iue plate inthe upper portion of the heating chamber forming a flue thereover extendin from `front to rear, said plate being forme at its front with openings for the entrance of they heating ases into the front l flue having lat its rear end an outlet opening, and a thermostat situated in the front ortion of the flue immediately in real" of t e openings in the flue late and adapted tol control the supply o gas to the burner. l

In testimony whereof I have alixed my signature hereto. f

HENRY W. oYDoWn. 

